278 The Barcelona Region’s land mosaic
supporter of the project, wore two or three hats which progressively changed --
from Chief Architect and Barcelona Regional Director, to Transportation and
Urbanism Director, Barcelona Regional CEO, and Dean of the Swiss Mendrisio
Architecture School -- and big intra-city issues also consumed his time. Neverthe-
less, several leading lights in the Barcelona Regional planning operation worked
with him to accomplish significant initiatives and begin gathering momentum.
The Catalan President, originally a planner, was also just elected, but quickly he
became committed to compelling national issues, while constantly balancing the
differing interests of a three-party governing coalition. Still, he appointed many
excellent people, including a leading geographer/urbanist, who, along with key
people in the agencies from a previous long-term administration, made good
progress in some areas related to the plan.Thinking about implementation and initial steps
The initial post-plan phase attempting to link a complex plan with pos-
sible implementation is inherently full of pitfalls. In this case three disparate
perspectives seem useful: (1) types of responses and actions; (2) nature, food,
water, and built areas; and (3) some broader messages.Types of responses and actions
Most plans end up on the shelf. Yet so much here was important on the
ground. Several types of responses and actions are instructive:(a) The Mayor as a top leader touted the book and its themes, discussed
proposals in it with key mayors of the region, and encouraged regional
collaboration.
(b) Local groups used the plan to push agendas in certain areas, e.g., for pro-
tection and restoration of torrentes in the Maresma and against indus-
trialization and urbanization in the Penedes.
(c) Apparently no or little movement occurred for some pieces, e.g., related
tocommuter rail lines, El Vendrell, and the Tordera area ecotourism
opportunities.
(d) Interest was expressed in the agriculture-nature park, but the concept
wasnot elaborated fully enough, and thus some lack of understanding
wasexpressed. Mentioning possible models or examples, as in Switzer-
land and Germany, would help.
(e) Some items consistent with the plan happened without the plan playing
any or much role, e.g., eliminating a proposal to pipe in water from the
L’Ebro River Basin to the west, and approving a land-use plan (long in
the works)foran area north of Manresa and Calaf.